After we we left Tongariro National Park we headed south to Napier and down the East Coast of the North Island. This included wine tasting near Martinborough, exploring the southern…

Tongariro National Park was a quick and fun stop on our way south. It was all about exploring the volcanic landscape on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. We first did some…

After we left the northland we explored the middle of the North Island. We started at the Coromandel Peninsula with a boat tour, hikes, and wine tasting. We then went…

After we left Auckland we went to explore the Northland. (A very logical naming of the northern end of the North Island.) It was yet another amazing region to explore…

Staying in Auckland was a bit of a shock after being in small towns on the South Island for so long: highways, two lane bridges, skyscrapers, city noise, traffic, lots…

Our final South Island stops before flying to Auckland were visiting Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park and Lake Tekapo. We had a big rainstorm in the middle of our stay at…

Dunedin and Oamaru are on the lower east coast of the South Island. The towns themselves are interesting and there is also lots of natural beauty to explore. Tunnel Beach…

The Catlins are a rugged, sparsely populated area in the southeastern corner of the South Island. We spent five days exploring the area and were amazed how few people we…

Stewart Island is south of the South Island and is comprised of more than 80% National Park. Only 380 people live on the island permanently and it has 17 miles…

There were two major reservations we wanted to book before we committed to our New Zealand trip: The Milford Track hike (see previous post) and a Doubtful Sound cruise. Both…